Bottle feeding newbie
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Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
Forum Description: Want help? Need support? Want tips? Men and women share advice and tips in this supportive community
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15738
Printed Date: 13 September 2025 at 11:17pm
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Topic: Bottle feeding newbie
Posted By: aimeejoy
Subject: Bottle feeding newbie
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 2:14pm
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OK so this bottle feeding is all new to me and has come as a slight shock after planning on bfing for a year like last time! Anyway, am getting over that but have a few questions...
Whats your 'routine'? You can't heat made up bottles can you? So do you just have the water in bottles ready for the day, then heat that, then mix in formula? Sterilising - if you use a microwave steriliser you dont need to use those milton tablet things do you? Ummm, any other helpful advice? TIA  ------------- Aimee Hannah 22/10/05 Greer 11/02/08 |
Replies:
Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 2:19pm
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What sort of bottles are you using?? With Andrew as he was a formula baby from early on I was a naughty mum and made the bottles up in the morning and heated them in the microwave for Andrew. I only heated them for about 20 sec's and shock the hell out of it coz of heat spots. Never burnt him that I know of. As he got older I was putting bottles of water in the fridge, then heating them and then adding the formula. If you microwave sterilise then you don't need to use the tablets. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 2:25pm
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With neocate you have to use it with in an hour of it being made, so no def can't heat it up. Our routine, I boil the kettle and then later on use the water in it, our kettle has a reheat function so I can heat to 40, if I have forgot then I stick a bottle of boiling water in a jug of cold. When out I take bottles of water and a pot with the measure amounts of neocate in, avent and tommee tippee sell these they have three sections so you can take three feeds worth out with you. Then I just mix once out and if need be get the cafe/friend to provide a jug of hot water to warm it in. I have a bottle keep warm thing in my nappy bag which normally keeps it hot enough without having to get a jug to stand it in though.
No microwave sterilisers don't need any tablets added to them, the power of steam does all the sterilising. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: mum2emj
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 3:23pm
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with my first two girls when i bottle fed them i made up the bottles in the morning and heated when needed. with my first we didnt have a microwave so used to heat it up in a cup! took ages!
then we did have a microwave when we had emma and heated them briefly in that, while pregnant with kayla i heard that it wasnt a good idea to heat the bottles in the microwave so i used to fill each bottle with some cooled boiled water then when kayla wanted a bottle i added a bit of boiling water enough to warm it to the right temp and make it to the right level them i added the formula- got into a good routine doing that. with sterilising (which i was a bit extreme about and did it for ages!!) again with jade we used a milton steriliser then with emma and kayla we just boiled the bottles and teats etc after washing them in a pot on the stove. |
Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 3:29pm
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making the formula then heating it was giving josh sore tummies so now i put boiled water in bottle in the fridge heat and add powder to them. I take a thermas of boiled water and his milk powder when i go out and either heat the water in the bottles using the boiled water (Thermas has a big cup on it) or i add some boiled water to the cold water bottles. I have an electric sterilizer and you just reminded me some stuff come with it to clean it should really go find them and read how they work opps -------------   
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Posted By: MyBelly
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 3:32pm
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hiya, yup i make up some bottles in the morning and then reheat them in the microwave throughout the day, it saves having a screaming baby (especially for those night feeds!)
also cold milk (i.e. from the fridge) can cause a babys body temp to drop, so isnt recommended. i used to boil the bottles/teats/etc for 5mins in a pot, or u can use tablets in a bowl for 1/2hour, but no u dont need tablets for a microwave steriliser. if baby isnt taking the boob to bottle transition so well try getting the tommee tippee bottles that are kind of like a nipple, Eden had those and it worked really well at transitioning her to bottle. good luck 
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Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 3:35pm
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ok they arent tablets they just spose to be put through my sterilizer every so many weeks so thats not too bad i will have to do that now im only about 8 weeks late -------------
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Posted By: aimeejoy
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 4:12pm
Thanks Yeah I didnt think you needed the tablets, but my MIL was going on about it yesterday so thought I better check!  ------------- Aimee Hannah 22/10/05 Greer 11/02/08 |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 4:28pm
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I always made up our Neocate bottles at night, it's fine as long as you use it within 24 hours. They tell you not to on the tin, but me and Tara at Nutricia (0800 Neocate) have become good ole buddies over the months of negotiating the gremlins and she said standard policy is the same as normal formula - 24 hours in the fridge.
I also microwaved ours to heat them, after 10 weeks of having to heat breastmilk in boiling water it was a luxury and I didn't have to listen to the gremlins screaming while they waited for their bottles apparently just DYING of starvation (NOT!). Our 'routine' was just to rinse the bottles out after use during the day, sterilise them all at night in the microwave steriliser then make them all up for the next day with cool boiled water (if you use boiling water the steam clogs up the powder scoop) then put them in the fridge and microwave them as needed. -------------  Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Kellz
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 4:48pm
| I didnt make mine up in advance, but got all the bottles ready at night with right ammount boiled water in, and scooped out the formula into containers (like cuppatea said) then I was already to go! I still just heat the water in the microwave, add the pre-scopped formula, shake and serve!! |
Posted By: ElfsMum
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 4:57pm
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aimee I'm in the same situation(thankyou peanut for answering my questions..there was so many ):)
so you can have formula made up in a bottle(even at 8 weeks old) in the fridge for 24 hours? and do you all feed extra boiled water to them to help with thirst? ------------- Mum to two amazing boys! |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 5:10pm
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Spencer still won't drink water unless it is a thousand degrees out and he is dying of thirst. So I give him ice cubes in his fresh food feeder or I add an extra 20ml to his formula. (doc said it is ok to add more water just not less). -------------
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Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 5:19pm
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If you are keeping made up formula in the fridge and your baby starts getting constipation or other problems like upset tummies try making it as you need it before switching brands and/or adding a little extra water. Apparently switching brands can cause problems for a few weeks while there bodies adjust so make sure you have tried everything first -------------
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Posted By: ElfsMum
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 5:26pm
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and another question...is the water supposed to be heated quite hot?or just luke warm? ------------- Mum to two amazing boys! |
Posted By: ElfsMum
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 5:27pm
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so if he has no constipation i dont need to add water? yeah most babies hate water...! ------------- Mum to two amazing boys! |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 5:28pm
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Just luke warm, body temp, so if you put it on your wrist it should be neither hot nor cold. -------------
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Posted By: aimeejoy
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 5:41pm
LOL KA, that was going to be my next question!!  ------------- Aimee Hannah 22/10/05 Greer 11/02/08 |
Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 5:41pm
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i always put about an extra 10 ml of water in but put more if he is starting to get firmer poos and i put more in if its a really hot day to quench his thirst if he wont take straight water. -------------
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Posted By: ElfsMum
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 5:47pm
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cause at work we always made it really warm and Ethan has been having his really warm..whoops:(
aimee-yeah its heaps more complicated than i thought:)! ok so i will give him water..id never heard of it before but it seems to be the general concensus.. ------------- Mum to two amazing boys! |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 7:13pm
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It doesn't matter how warm it is KA, as long as it dosn't burn him of course tho lol!
I used to add an extra scoop of formula to their last bottle at night to fill them up but that's a big NO NO so don't copy me lol, then I'd add an extra 10ml to each of their daytime bottles to make up the extra water. And yep, 24 hours in the fridge is fine. If you're going out and need to keep it in the nappy bag for a while tho it might be useful to get a formula dispenser and just take a bottle of measured boiled water with you to add the formula to. Aimee if you ring 0800 Neocate Tara will send you a free formula dispenser and heaps of Neocate info. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Two Blondinis
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 7:14pm
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we were always told never to dilute the formula (even with C's chronic constipation) if she wouldn't take plain water then we were to add a drop (literally to colour!) of OJ
We also kept at least 2 bottles of cooled boiled water in the fridge, never made up formula - too expensive to keep throwing it away! lol We started to warm her bottles in hot water, but it took forever! So figured that I was using the microwave to sterilize so it wouldn't hurt to heat the water in there too. We still do the same even now as Caitlin is one of those super fussys that doesn't like "cooked" formula. For sterilizing - we had the Avent microwave steriliser and just washed it in the dishwasher each night ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
 
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 7:15pm
LOL Toni I never washed my steriliser  ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Two Blondinis
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 7:19pm
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you probably don't have to as it get's regularly sterilised... but you know how anal I am ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: ElfsMum
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 7:22pm
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emma- me neither was worried for a second..so if i go out i can put boiling water in bottles?or does that screw the seal on bottle? and heat it wherever i am if it got cold(though i have bottle holder now) as he cant have it cold? and when i put it in the bottles in the first place can it be boiling hot? before putting in fridge? ------------- Mum to two amazing boys! |
Posted By: Rackhell
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 9:03pm
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We boil the kettle after tea, put water in a jug on the bench, put the cooled water into bottles at night, put these in the fridge last thing at night ready for the morning.
When I go out i take the bottle from the fridge, go wherever, put the formula into the bottle - possibly shouldn't do this? - (always carry a dispenser with me) and heat in a microwave. Shake like heck. If the cooled bottle has warmed up, it goes in the microwave for about 15 secs (depending on the microwave strength) and add 2 or 3 secs depending. If heating the bottled water straight from the fridge i heat it in the microwave for 45 secs then add 3 secs or so if needed. IMHO: Breast milks the perfect temperature, so i wouldn't give cold formula to a baby. So shake the bottle like heck from the microwave to disperse hot spots and test on your wrist. Should feel like nothing (ie luke warm), well that's how i do it. |
Posted By: ElfsMum
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 9:09pm
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fair enough.. always at preschool we have heated it so its kind hot..not burning hot obviously but like tea when you are ready to drink it..but more than luke warm..:) interesting..I've learnt a lot today! its not like i go anywhere without being able to heat it anyway...tomorrow one of the clucky ohbaby girls can feed him..lol:) ------------- Mum to two amazing boys! |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 9:53pm
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I bought these awesome heat me packs to heat the gremlins bottles when we were out and about if there was nowhere to heat them.
What you are doing sounds like exactly what I did Rackhell. Boiling water should be fine KA, it never affected out bottles. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: MyBelly
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 10:17pm
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boiling hot water can react funny with some formulas so even just boiling the jug and waiting 5mins will help.
I found when Eden had a D and V bug it helped to put more water in with the formula, it diluted it just enough to fill her up but wasnt so thick and made it easier for her to digest. I also fed her a lot more cooled boiled water over the summer period because she wanted to drink something but wouldnt take formula, i tried water and she guzzled it down. i think its recommended that you offer baby some cooled boiled water between each formula feed, because with breasfeeding they get enough thirst clenching fore milk then the filling hind milk, or somethin like that! |
Posted By: mum2paris
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 10:24pm
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I used to keep a container of boiled water in the fridge, then just boil the jug, i got to know the perfect amount/measurement of each to put in to get the right temp at different amounts then just added the scoops to get a perfect bottle, no heating.
------------- Janine and her 2 cool chicks, Paris & Ayja 
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Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 28 March 2008 at 10:37pm
| I boil the jug at night, in the morning I put the cooled water into a sterilised jug that just sits (closed) in the pantry. I make bottles up morning and night as I don't have enough teats to last all feeds. I make up all the bottles at the same time as I hate to waste formula so I can juggle the amount thats in each bottle after making it. How much do dispensers cost? I really should get one as I'm a naughty mummy and I just take made up formula out with us oops! But Jack has no troubles with it. We add 10ml to each feed as well, and give him water to drink on a hot day. I know how you feel, I was at a loss at first too! |
Posted By: ElfsMum
Date Posted: 29 March 2008 at 7:14am
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my belly..i mean boiling hot water then it goes in fridge:) ------------- Mum to two amazing boys! |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 29 March 2008 at 8:20am
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KA its not good to put boiling water straight into the fridge cos it heats the fridge up, so should leave it on the bench till room temp and then put in the fridge. If you are going out it is fine to stick boiling water in the bottle and take it with you, that is exactly what I do and normally by the time he is ready for a feed it has cooled off enough or if not he has to wait a little. Just remember if he is gonna be due a feed as soon as you arrive at your destination don't take a bottle of boiling water as it will still be far too hot when you get there so take warm water with you. I took boiling water to the eye doc and then Spencer screamed the waiting room down while I had to get a jug of cold water off the receptionist He was a lot younger and less patient then and I was a bottle newbie.
Emz tommee tippee do one that was 8.99 in the warehouse the avent one I got was 14.99 from babyfactory. -------------
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Posted By: MyMinis
Date Posted: 29 March 2008 at 11:22am
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i got some fantastic bottles the other day wish id seen them when james was a newborn, they are tommee tippee nuby and they have detatchable handles and are anti colic/ nospill teats they're great.
i bottle fed both my kids I boiled bottles, james got sick on tablets so i went to boiling for him. i mix as i need always have, but sometimes int eh night i will make up a bottle incase he wakes which he would normally have in the morning when he gets up. i heat in warm water and it doesnt take to long, although i have been known to heat in the microwave if i really need it heated
i also take a bottle with hot water when i go out so by the time he's ready its cooled perfectly. not that i need to take milk now for him ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
http://tweetytweety85.bebo.com - bebo |